Rotary filing cabinet with wardrobe

ABSTRACT

A rotary filing cabinet with a wardrobe has a cabinet housing with at least a front opening. A rotor is mounted for rotational movement within the housing about a vertical axis. A vertical dividing panel of the rotor has at one side a plurality of filing shelves and at an opposite side a plurality of compartments forming the wardrobe. By rotating the rotor, either the filing shelves or the wardrobe can be positioned at the front opening of the cabinet housing

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] A rotary filing cabinet is known, as described in U.S. Pat. No.3,868,157 incorporated herein by reference, which is operable fromeither of two sides. In the filing cabinet, a rotor is provided in acabinet having a plurality of shelves. These shelves are located onopposite sides of a central divider panel. The rotor is movable toexpose the shelves to either of two open sides of the housing. The rotorhas two opposing closed flat sides and can be rotated into a positionthat closes the open sides of the cabinet housing.

[0002] In office, educational, and other environments, file cabinets mayoccupy a substantial portion of space. Additionally, substantialportions of space may be occupied by a closet utilized as a wardrobeallowing those present in the office to have a convenient place to storetheir coats, umbrellas, and other personal items such as running shoes,handbags, bags containing meals, purses, athletic bags, etc.

[0003] Substantial space can be occupied in the office by both thewardrobe closet and the file cabinets.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] It is an object of the invention to minimize the cost and spacerequired in an office or similar environment for a wardrobe.

[0005] According to the present invention, a rotary filing cabinet isprovided having shelving at one side of a divider panel and compartmentsat an opposite side of the divider panel functioning as a wardrobe.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006]FIG. 1 is a front view of the rotary filing cabinet with thewardrobe facing the front side;

[0007]FIG. 2 is a front view of the rotary filing cabinet but with therotor turned 90° such that one of the closed flat sides is exposed at afront opening of a housing of the cabinet;

[0008]FIG. 3 is a front view of the filing cabinet of FIG. 1, but withthe rotor rotated such that the filing shelves face the front opening;

[0009]FIG. 4 is a top view of the rotary filing cabinet with wardrobe ofFIG. 1;

[0010]FIG. 5 is a front view of vertical panels together with one of theshelves and a hook used in the wardrobe portion of the rotary filingcabinet;

[0011]FIG. 6 is a side view of one of the vertical panels of FIG. 5;

[0012]FIG. 7A is a top view of one of the shelves received in louvers ofthe vertical panels of FIG. 5;

[0013]FIG. 7B is an end view of the shelf of FIG. 7A;

[0014]FIG. 8A is a front view of a hook used in the wardrobe; and

[0015]FIG. 8B is an end view of the hook of FIG. 8A.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0016] For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principlesof the invention, reference will now be made to a preferred embodimentillustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used todescribe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitationof the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations andfurther modifications in the illustrated device, and/or method, and suchfurther applications of the principles of the invention as illustratedtherein being contemplated as would normally occur now or in the futureto one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

[0017]FIG. 1 illustrates at 10 the rotary filing cabinet with wardrobehaving a rotor 11 turned to face a front opening 12 of a housing 9 ofthe filing cabinet. A foot pedal 13 and a lock 14 are provided in thefiling cabinet. The lock 14 prevents rotation of the rotor 11, even ifthe foot pedal 13 is activated. If the lock 14 is unlocked, then therotor 11 can be rotated when the operator places a foot on the pedal 13depressing it downwardly to unlock the rotor for rotation.

[0018] The mechanical structure of the rotary filing cabinet, and itsrotational system with shelves only, is described in prior U.S. Pat. No.3,868,157 incorporated herein by reference.

[0019] In FIG. 1 showing the wardrobe facing the front, a centralvertical dividing panel 15 is provided together with a series of shelves16A through 16D. A continuous shelf 17 is also provided at the lower endof the vertical panel 15. Another shelf 18 is provided beneath shelf 17.

[0020] The aforementioned shelves 16A-D and 17 form the wardrobe portionof the filing cabinet. A left compartment 18 is formed of the centralvertical dividing panel 15, a central divider panel 19 forming a back ofthe compartment, and an additional vertical panel 20 at the left side.

[0021] Additional compartments 21A, 21B, 21C, 21D and 21E are providedto the right side of the vertical dividing panel 15 in the wardrobe.

[0022] The left hand compartment 18 has at least one hook assembly 22 onwhich clothing items such as a coat 23 may be hung. Also shown incompartment 18 is an umbrella 24.

[0023] On the right side of the divider 15 in the wardrobe, anothervertical panel 24 is provided. The shelves 16A-D are thus supportedbetween the vertical panels 15 and 24.

[0024] The compartments 21A, 21B and 21C may hold odd sized books orfiles 6, 7 and 8, for example. Compartments 21D and 21E may holdpersonal items such as purses, camera cases, briefcases, shoes or thelike indicated by reference numerals 25 and 26.

[0025] Below shelf 17 hanging files 5, for example, may be provided.

[0026] Beneath a shelf 18, a security compartment 27 may be providedhaving a closed security drawer 28 with its own lock 29 and a handle 30.

[0027] With reference to FIG. 2, the rotor of the cabinet has beenrotated 900 so that the closed flat side 4 (see FIG. 4) faces the frontopening 12.

[0028] In FIG. 3, the shelving on the opposite side of the centraldivider panel 19 (see FIG. 4) can be seen. Thus, shelves 31A-G areshown. These shelves form respective compartments within which files 32may be stored.

[0029]FIG. 4 shows as a top view, the overall layout from the top of therotary filing cabinet with wardrobe. The central divider panel 19segregates the shelves in the back from the wardrobe at the front. Alsoshown are closed flat sides 4 and 5.

[0030]FIG. 5 shows the left vertical panel 20, right vertical panel 24,and central vertical panel 15 of the wardrobe. One of the shelves 16A,for example, is shown. Louvers 33 are also shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 6 showsthe front view of the louvers 33 on panel 20.

[0031] The central vertical panel 5 is formed from first and secondback-to-back louvered vertical panels with the first panel nested withthe second panel.

[0032]FIG. 7A illustrates shelf 16A, for example, in a top view havingmounting tabs 16AA-16AD which are received in respective louvers of thevertical panels.

[0033]FIG. 7B shows an end view of the shelf 16A.

[0034]FIGS. 8A,B show front and end views respectively of the clothinghook assembly 22 of FIG. 1. The hook assembly locks to the same louvers33 utilized for retaining the shelves. Hook assembly 22 has hookportions 36A, B, C, and retaining portions 37A, B for engaging in thelouvers.

[0035] With the system disclosed, space in an office can be conserved,the personal items stored in the wardrobe can be concealed from view,and overall expense is reduced, since the wardrobe is provided with theuse of a closet.

[0036] By a simple spin of the rotor, the wardrobe is exposed at thefront opening to expose a series of personal storage compartments fromone or more employees or guests in the office, educational, or otherenvironment.

[0037] The disclosed system provides personal storage and security aswell as a file and supply storage. For example in a classroom, a teachercan store personal belongings, lesson plans, student files, worksheets,and teacher manuals.

[0038] In an existing rotary file, installation of the wardrobe issimple by addition of the central vertical panel 15. For example, twoflanges 15B, 15C are provided at the top of the vertical panel 15 whichare attached to the rotor 11 by screws 38, 39. Two tabs 15A shown by thedashed line reference number are also provided at the bottom of thevertical panel 15 which are inserted into slots 17A in the continuousshelf 17 as shown in FIG. 1. Simply by mounting the continuous shelf 17,the half-shelves 16A-D and coat hook assembly 22 into the louvers andthe wardrobe is functional. Alternatively, instead of continuous shelf17 with a filing compartment 5 and security drawer 27, these structurescan be dispensed with and the central divider panel 15 can be extendedall the way to the bottom of the rotor with corresponding slots beingprovided at the bottom of the rotor to receive the tabs 15A of thevertical panel 15.

[0039] While a preferred embodiment has been illustrated and describedin detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to beconsidered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it beingunderstood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown anddescribed, and that all changes and modifications that come within thespirit of the invention both now or in the future are desired to beprotected.

I claim as my invention:
 1. A rotary filing cabinet with a wardrobe,comprising: a cabinet housing having at least a front opening; a rotormounted for rotational movement within the housing about a verticalaxis; and a vertical panel of the rotor having at one side a pluralityof filing shelves and at an opposite side a plurality of compartmentsforming a wardrobe.
 2. The rotary filing cabinet of claim 1 wherein thecabinet housing has both the front opening and a rear opening.
 3. Therotary filing cabinet of claim 1 wherein the vertical panel is centrallylocated on the rotor.
 4. The rotary filing cabinet of claim 1 whereinthe rotor also has opposing closed flat sides selectively rotatable forpositioning at the front opening to close off the front opening.
 5. Therotary filing cabinet according to claim 1 wherein the wardrobe isformed on the rotor with a vertical wardrobe dividing panel having atone side a relatively large compartment for receiving cloths and at anopposite side a plurality of shelves forming relatively smallercompartments for personal items.
 6. The rotary filing cabinet accordingto claim 5 wherein a hook is provided in the relatively largecompartment for the clothes, said hook engaging with a vertical panellying across from the vertical wardrobe dividing panel.
 7. The rotaryfiling cabinet according to claim 1 wherein a filing shelf is providedbeneath the wardrobe.
 8. The rotary filing cabinet according to claim 1wherein a filing cabinet and a security compartment having a locked dooris provided beneath the wardrobe.
 9. The rotary filing cabinet accordingto claim 1 wherein the wardrobe is formed from a louvered vertical panelat a left side, a louvered central dividing vertical panel, and a rightside louvered vertical panel, and wherein shelves in the wardrobe havecorresponding tabs received in the louvers for mounting the shelves. 10.The rotary filing cabinet according to claim 1 wherein the cabinethousing has a foot pedal at a bottom which, when depressed, permitsrotation of the rotor, and a lock also being provided to preventrotation of the rotor even when the foot pedal is depressed.
 11. Therotary filing cabinet according to claim 1 wherein the wardrobe has atleast two vertical panels with louvers therein and a plurality ofshelves are provided having cut-out tabs to be received in tworespective louvers in each vertical panel.
 12. The rotary filing cabinetaccording to claim 1 wherein a hook assembly is provided in thewardrobe, said hook assembly having two tabs and at least one hookportion, the two tabs being engaged in two respective louvers of avertical panel at one side of the wardrobe.
 13. The rotary filingcabinet according to claim 1 wherein the wardrobe has an intermediatevertical dividing panel, a left vertical panel, a right vertical panel,a plurality of shelves extending from the intermediate panel to one ofthe left and right vertical panels, and a continuous shelf running froma left side to a right side of the wardrobe beneath the intermediatepanel, and wherein a compartment below the continuous shelf comprising afiling compartment.
 14. The rotary filing cabinet according to claim 1wherein the filing shelves at the one side are formed of two verticallouvered panels opposite each other with shelves running therebetween,the shelves having tabs received in the louvers, and wherein thewardrobe has at least left and right opposite vertical panels withlouvers.
 15. The rotary filing cabinet with the wardrobe, comprising: acabinet housing having at least front and back openings; a rotor mountedfor rotational movement within the housing about a vertical axis; and acentral vertical panel of the rotor having at one side a plurality offiling shelves and at an opposing side at least one compartment forminga wardrobe for clothes.
 16. A method for filing documents and storingcloths in an office environment, comprising the steps of: providing arotary filing cabinet having a cabinet housing with at least a frontopening, a rotor mounted for rotational movement within the housingabout a vertical axis, and a vertical panel of the rotor having at oneside a plurality of filing shelves and at an opposite at least onewardrobe compartment; rotating the rotor to position the filing shelvesat the front opening, and then filing documents in the filing shelves;and rotating the rotor a half rotation to position the wardrobecompartment at the front opening, and placing at least one personal itemin the wardrobe compartment.
 17. The method according to claim 16wherein said at least one personal item comprises an item of clothingplaced in the wardrobe.
 18. The method according to claim 16 includingthe step of providing a plurality of compartments within the wardrobe,placing at least one item of clothing in one of the compartments, andplacing at least one personal item in another of the compartments. 19.The method according to claim 16 including the step of providing closedflat sides opposite one another on the rotor perpendicular to thevertical panel of the rotor, and rotating one of the close flat sides tothe front opening of the cabinet housing to close off the rotary filingcabinet.
 20. The method according to claim 16 including the step ofproviding the wardrobe of the rotary filing cabinet by mounting anintermediate vertical louvered dividing panel to form wardrobecompartments on both sides of the dividing panel.
 21. The methodaccording to claim 20 including the step of providing a shelf betweenthe vertical intermediate vertical dividing panel and one of twovertical side panels with louvers.
 22. The method according to claim 20including the step of providing flange mounting at a top of the verticalintermediate louvered dividing panel and a tab and slot mounting at abottom of the intermediate panel.